The musings of an Associate Pastor's wife, home school mom, and wanna- be decorator

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It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…has that line been used yet?I was trying really hard to get away from negativity in my blog posts, but I simply have to share some of our current woes with you. However, don’t take it as negative, no it truly is positive.As a matter of fact, things are starting to get down right comical.When it all gets too much we tend to laugh around this house…yes, we’re weird that way.

It all sort of continued when I came home the other day with smoke billowing out of our “good” car.I’ve written about the other car, but really?The good car now?2nd man opened the hood, I’m not sure why, neither of us is mechanical.But, somehow that’s what your instincts tell you to do when there’s smoke billowing.He wanted to make sure it wasn’t something obvious.I had called him on my way home because a dinging sound kept going off and a light that said, “Check gages.”Now, you may be saying, “Duh!Check your gages,” however; we’ve been prone to ignore our gages because of a non-recalled quirk in our vehicle.The speedometer sometimes gets stuck and the gas gage can never be trusted.So, I called home asking what the dinging was, but I was just around the corner anyway, so I kept going.When he opened the hood he realized that the coolant was bone dry.Then, yesterday a knocking sound started and 2nd man had to take the ol girl into the shop.As it turns out it was a water pump.This is good because a few hundred dollars sounded much better to him than a few thousand.

This of course was the same day my middle daughter had an orthodontist appointment and we were told she’d be ready in a month.The Orthodontist seemed to pick up on my nervous laugh and twitching eye and neck.“We cooouuuuld possibly wait if there’s a financial problem.” he graciously proposed.I kind of filled him in on the highlights of our spring so far: 2nd man’s medical tests, my crown/root canal, the dishwasher, the start of orthodontics for daughter #1, the broken boat motor that needed replacing, the broken finger on daughter #2, the shed door that broke off and of course the smoking truck.He was convinced and said we could put it off a few months and didn’t even charge for that visit.Whew!

Last night our pastor offered to lend us his car while ours was in the shop.He is going to be out of town anyway for a few days and wouldn’t need his own car.As 2nd man and I drove my car over to pick it up we were laughing that I had to hold up the rearview mirror that came detached and was swinging by a wire.When we got to Pastor’s house, he began to show us how we could start his car remotely so we wouldn’t have to get into a hot car when we went out and about.To this we started chiding him for rubbing it in.We all stood in his driveway laughing at the contrast of his car to my car that won’t die!She’s falling apart all around, but her engine hums like a choir.Funny the things that keep ya humble.2nd man and I keep quoting Dolly Levi from “Hello Dolly” when she says, “money is like manure; it’s of no use unless it’s spread around.”

My Lily of the Nile, unrelated to this post, but it makes me smile

You may think all of this has us upset and forlorn, but the contrary is actually true.Both 2nd man and I realize that it puts us in a position where we have to trust God.Can that really be a bad place?Oh, it’s uncomfortable when you look at the bank account and the well is dry.But my God has worked many wonders greater than this and I know he’s not going to let us starve. (Although, a little starving probably wouldn’t hurt me right now J).I fully trust God to help us through this tight spot and am actually looking forward to seeing how he works.This should be quite interesting.Of course I’m not going forth in my own confidence and I have been in much prayer seeking guidance and wisdom for the 2nd man and me, contemplating if I need to start cleaning houses or something.I’ve also sought his face in asking if we have done anything wrong and to please let us know so we can get it right.I really believe it’s the worst of times in a financial realm, but it’s the best of times in that we’re in a perfect position to see and witness God working.Who can ask for anything better?